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There's a group of highly talented actors and directors in Yemen who make theatre. They don't do it for the money--they get paid next to nothing, they work on shoestring production budgets and shows are free to the public. They do it for the sheer love of performing and communicating important stories to their audiences.

I lived in Yemen from 2009 to 2014, and while I was there, a young actor and director told me he'd love to stage Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in Yemen. It's a perfect play for Yemen in so many ways, full of conflict but also magic and mystery and humor. Plus it appeals to all ages, which is crucial, considering how many families with young children come to the theatre!

Yemen and Yemenis have been through so much, particularly over the last two years, and I really admire how they maintain hope for the future under such dire conditions. But the current crisis is testing the limits of even the most patient and optimistic.

Creativity--the creation of something beautiful--is always the best counter to violence and destruction. So let's help Yemen's artists create a new performance. Let's give them some resources to build a fantastic set and design gorgeous costumes. Let's give Yemen's children the opportunity to gaze wide-eyed at Titania and Oberon, and to laugh at the misadventures of Bottom with his donkey's head. Let's give them an escape, even if a temporary one, from the suffering, trauma, and isolation caused by the current conflict.

The funds raised by this page will support:- A translation and adaptation of Shakespeare's play into Yemeni Arabic- Fair living wages for the cast and crew, for the duration of the project- Set design and construction, costuming, lighting and sound design- The filming of a documentary about the production, so that people around the world can see what these theatre artists are able to achieve, with a little moral and material support!

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2 years ago

Katherine Hennessey started crowdfunding

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Page last updated on: 2/14/20174:00 AM

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Steve and Anne Steinbeiser

Feb 14, 2017

Dear Kate and Stephen, May this Valentine's Day turn all of our hearts towards each other -- for in the words of the Bard: "Love is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken."

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About the fundraiser

Katherine Hennessey

From 2009 to mid-2014 Katherine lived in Sana'a, researching and writing about Yemeni theatre. She is currently completing a Global Shakespeare research fellowship at the University of Warwick and Queen Mary University of London.